If I survive that long!!:dead:

Reece ask the Greman Navy to buid a heavy water nuclear torp. you might live longer and score my women to take home with you.

Should I set the range greater than 500m and use impact pistol, should I crash dive or surface after firing?:-?:yep:

Three options for survival from mid-1943 on:

1- (Realistic) Stay the hell away from destroyers, only firing long shots with patterned torps at convoys. Don't even think about getting pinged. You actually had it incredibly easy in that you lost the destroyer! Granted, I was in a IX and not a VII, but I was getting detected and pinged from 1000M away, 200M down, in heavy seas. Your only option is to not be detected. (although realistically, you should duel aircraft on the surface as per Doenitz's crazy orders- this is mission, if not career, suicide)

2- (Semi-realistic) Stock up on homing torps like mad. They can mean the difference between life and death. Dueling destroyers with regular torps is soon no longer an option because of the hedgehog. That REALLY puts a damper on sub-destroyer dogfights!

3- (Fantasy) Pick up a XXI and get ready to ride! The XXI has two critical advantages, and one serious flaw. First, it's very fast underwater. That makes evading and attacking much simpler. It is also a tremendous aid in dogfighting escorts (e.g., you can outrun corvettes underwater!). Second, it has a very rapid load system, that when combined with homing torps, is devastating against escorts (so long as your supply of torps is good!). It's serious flaw is that it lacks a stern tube. Against medium-large convoys, when you get 6+ escorts descending on you in a giant furball, it would be very nice to be able to shoot a homing torp backwards. Indeed, with your enhanced speed, simply running away from them and shooting back as you go would be deadly effective. On the plus side, the XXI makes the IX look like a brick in terms of manuevering, and it dives like a homesick water angel. Deeper diving might help if you could go past 350 and evade depth charges, but otherwise Allied improved sonar negates any advantage of going 250-280M deep.

So you have options post-'43, but they are limited. The schnorkel is relatively useless, as it seems to be an aircraft magnet, and you have no periscope watch to alert you, making you a blind aircraft magnet. One last hint: with a good detector, you can detect surface radar well before it detects you (or at least they respond to you). The same doesn't appear to be true for airplane radar (using the colored line mod for hostile surface ships, you can tell the difference- you can also tell because airplane radar grows closer and changes its bearing much more rapidly).

I reckon your three greatest dangers later in the war are:

Elite crew status

Radar

Hedgehog

You forgot incompetence jim,my own I hasten to add:doh:like me trolling along on the surface with the scope left up:nope:or not changing eel firing mechanism and wondering why my stern shot at a chasing DD sailed the length of the devil without going off:rotfl:I can laugh now,cause I managed to get away but at the time my language was alot more......colourful:o;):up:

Rgr that mate :lol: :up:

I would add two more:

4. Allied airpower.

5: The incompetance of the German Naval High Command to provide a suitable replacement for the Type VII until long after it became clear it was obsolete. When the Type XXI did eventually emerge it was so riddled with bugs and shoddy workmanship it was virtually useless. How many crews died in the type VII anachronisms because the Nazis hadn't 'budgeted' for a long war? Doenitz must take the blame for the wanton sacrifice of of his mens' lives by failing to ensure that they had the 'right tools for the job'.

Jimbuna, I agree in real life. But in the game, enemy surface radar is pretty useless. I'm MUCH more worried about the improved sonar. And actually, after thinking it over, I suspect that was perhaps the case in real life too. AIR radar is a huge pain, because it lets the allies patrol huge swaths, but surface radar is easily detected and evaded. Its when the home in on you with that nearly-infaliable sonar that you're really pooched! :o Allied air power was significant, but it was still destroyers using sonar that killed most u-boats in real life (and in SH3 I'd wager).

The 2 at the top of the list is Allied Radar & Air Power!:yep: I rarely use radar, this only seems to make matters worse, however I have picked up some merchants with it, the best tool is the radar detection unit, I'd be stuffed without that!:doh::yep:

It's not the # of actual kills made by aircraft that is truly significant. An aircraft would force the u-boat to dive and lose it's tactical mobilityy, allowing surface warships to be directed to the scene to complete the kill.

You have a chance of escaping aircraft alone, or escorts alone. But if the two 'arms' are working together, that's quite another story!

In mention radar I meant both air and surface.

The game doesn't make vast/similar improvements in the ability of the sonar late war.

In fact, if your using SH3 Commander, the sonar threat is often negated randomly via the pseudo thermal layer effect.

Early 44 now, air patrols are thick & radar detector seems to be a lot poorer, they are in visual range before I can clear the surface!:oops: Did manage to sink a medium tanker though, certainly had to work for it.:yep: Seems to be a fault when using TC underwater the aircraft don't show on the map:-?, even though scope is up, however you can hear them and receive their bombs ok!!:doh:

Did u try running decks awash even with the type IXB or C i was submerged before they could herass me ?

I am sorry to say, but when you get to late 1944 you will dream of the good times back in '43.

I have only completed one full war career and I would not do it again. From 1944-45 the game really aint that fun any more. :nope:

One suggestion is to always cruise at 7 meters. It gives you a few extra seconds to dive to avoid the bombs.

My sympathies are with you.